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(from "Cyclopedia of New Jersey Biography" 1923, American Historical Society)
" Jasper Crane, the first of his name so far as we know to set foot in the new world, was born probably about 1605, somewhere near Bradley Plain, Hampshire, England, died in Newark, New Jersey, in 1681. His aunt was Margaret Crane who married Samuel Huntington, whose child, Jasper's cousin, Margaret Huntington, married, May 2, 1592, John, son of Edward and Margaret (Wilson) Ogden, and whose daughter, Elizabeth Huntington, Margaret's sister, married Richard Ogden, the brother of John Ogden, who married Margaret, and the father of John Ogden, the emigrant to Southampton and Elizabethtown. Jasper Crane's own daughter, Hannah, married Thomas, son of Margaret and Simon Huntington, a brother of Samuel and Margaret (Crane) Huntington.
" June 4, 1639, Jasper Crane, who was one of the original settlers of the New Haven Colony, was present at the meeting held at Mr. Newman's barn, and signed the first agreement of all the free planters. He took the oath of fidelity at the organization of the government, together with Campfield, Pennington, Governor Eaton, and others; and in 1644 he was "freed from watching and trayning in his own person because of his weakness, but to find some one for his turn." With Robert Treat he was a member of the general court, and for many years he was a magistrate. In 1651 he was interested in a bog ore furnace at East Haven; and in 1652 he removed to Branford, where he was elected a magistrate in 1658, having held the office of deputy for some years previous to that date.
" A tradition with regard to Jasper is that he came to Massachusetts Bay in the ship "Arabella," with Governor Winthrop, etc. etc. etc. (This biography is same wording as the Ellery B. Bicknell's Genealogy of the Crane Family below)
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Jasper Crane, whose name heads the list of the first twenty-three Colonists from Branford, Conn., emigrated from England and is named as one of the New Haven Colony, June 4th, 1639. He is mentioned as one of the most influential and active men in the new Newark Colony. His name is the first of the list of signatures for the original church in Newark dated January 20th, 1667. This church building, in size thirty-six feet by thirty-six feet, was located on the west side of Broad Street, south of Market Street, on a six-acre lot set apart by the Colony for a church and burying ground. This church building of frame was superseded about 1708 by a much larger one of stone with steeple and bell. The present church edifice, the First Presbyterian Church of Newark, locate nearly opposite the original buildings, was a bold undertaking for those early days, but was carried through with heroic energy at great personal sacrifice, a building of such proportions and architectural taste that it is at this day an ornament to the city of Newark. It was dedicated under the pastorate of Dr. MacWhorter, January 1st, 1791.
Jasper Crane died in 1681. His will, dated 1678, mentioned his children John, Azariah, Jasper and Hannah Huntington. He bequeathed to his son John a silver bowl, which afterward was inherited by his brother Azariah, who gave it to the First Church of Newark and which is still in use in this old church as a baptismal font. Azariah Crane, son of Jasper, married Mary, daughter of Robert Treat, and is later mentioned as living at his home place at the Mountain (that is, now Montclair) in 1715. He was interested and active in town and church development; a deacon in the Newark church till his death. A deed conveying land to his son Azariah, Jr., dated "in the 26th year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God," may be seen hanging in the public library of this town. He, with his brother Jasper were evidently the first white settlers at the foot of the Mountain. He died November 5th, 1730, in his eighty-third year. His children were Hannah, Mariah, Nathaniel, Azariah, Jr., Robert, Jane, Mary and John. Historic records state that Nathaniel, oldest son of Azariah, was born in 1680 and settled near a spring at the foot of the Mountain. The old house, about which I played in childhood, was located on the Orange Road near to the present Myrtle Avenue, about two hundred feet west from the road. It was a two-story house with double pitched roof, large hall in the center with rooms each side. At the rear of the house stood a small building occupied in the early days by slaves and by their descendants as family servants through several generations. At the south end of the house stood the cut stone milk house built over the spring mentioned above. On the shelves of this cool milk room, I remember seeing the large pans of milk and rolls of new-made butter. The clear stream flowing from this spring was one of the heads of the brook now running across Church Street and Bloomfield Avenue near Park Street. The last occupant in the family line of the old Crane homestead was Major Nathaniel Crane, who died childless. He was the fourth descendant from Nathaniel, son of Azariah. The house was remodeled several times by successive owners after it passed from the Crane family. In later years it was known as the Frost house, Mr. Frost having owned and occupied it for a number of years. It was taken down about 1900 to give place for new improvements, with but little knowledge that it probably was the first house building in Montclair.
From WELWYN PARISH RECORDS, ENGLAND -- Could this be our Jasper?
18 Jul 1602 - A Jasper Crane is christened in Welwyn Parish, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England. He was the son of Richard Crane. Apparent siblings were John (chr 25 Jan 1595), William (chr 4 Jun 1598) - Some of the other families listed in these parish records (for the same time period) were Geo. Byrd, Bigge, Best, Wm. Beech, Henry Bull, Thomas Campfield, John Cansbie, Jasper Casse, John/Robt./Geo. Edmond Clerk/Clark, Crawley, Deardes, Field, Gynn, Hale, Harper, Edw. Martin, John Paine (Eliz. 1613, Mary 1614, John 1618), Jasper Wakefield (31 Oct 1602), Wm. Wakefield (1605), Ralph Wakefield (1608), Thomas Ward, Wren

Excerpts from "CYCLOPEDIA OF New Jersey BIOGRAPHY" (1923, American Historical Society)
JASPER CRANE, FOUNDER OF AN IMPORTANT FAMILY
Jasper Crane, the first of his name so far as we know to set foot in the new world, was born probably about 1605, somewhere near Bradley Plain, Hampshire, England, died in Newark, New Jersey, in 1681. His aunt was Margaret Crane who married Samuel Huntington, whose child, Jasper's cousin, Margaret Huntington, married, May 2, 1592, John, son of Edward and Margaret (Wilson) Ogden, and whose daughter, Elizabeth Huntington, Margaret's sister, married Richard Ogden, the brother of John Ogden, who married Margaret, and the father of John Ogden, the emigrant to Southampton and Elizabethtown. Jasper Crane's own daughter, Hannah, married Thomas, son of Margaret and Simon Huntington, a brother of Samuel and Margaret (Crane) Huntington.
June 4, 1639, Jasper Crane, who was one of the original settlers of the New Haven Colony, was present at the meeting held at Mr. Newman's barn, and signed the first agreement of all the free planters. He took the oath of fidelity at the organization of the government, together with Campfield, Pennington, Governor Eaton, and others; and in 1644 he was "freed from watching and trayning in his own person because of his weakness, but to find some one for his turn." With Robert Treat he was a member of the general court, and for many years he was a magistrate. In 1651 he was interested in a bog ore furnace at East Haven; and in 1652 he removed to Branford, where he was elected a magistrate in 1658, having held the office of deputy for some years previous to that date.
A tradition with regard to Jasper is that he came to Massachusetts Bay in the ship "Arabella," with Governor Winthrop.
from "ROCKAWAY RECORDS OF MORRIS CO., NJ" by Joseph Percy Crayon 1902
Gen. (maybe gentleman?) Josiah Crane, whose son Jasper emigrated with his family from London to America at an early date, and was one of the founders of Newark, NJ, in 1666, was related to William Crane, who married, Margaret, daughter and co-heir of Sir Andrew Butler, Knight. There were several branches of the Crane family, the Cheshire and Chilton branches, became most noted and numerous, who settled in the several counties of England, and who were originally Franks, freemen, and related to, and holding high positions under the long line of Pharamond Kings. The motto of the Cheshire branch was Qui pascet corvus non oblivis citus grus (He that feeds the crows will not forget the Crane.)
The home lot that fell to Jasper Crane at Newark was directly north of the Essex county court house, and is now the site of St. Paul's Episcopal church. The meeting house was nearby and surrounded by a palisade, and in the cupola a guard of settlers kept watch for hostile Indians, while the worship was in progress.
They were on the 1670 Newark census:
C650 CRAIN, Jasper NEWARK p. 239

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